Thermal gas-valve.



-N 717,904. PATBNTED JAN. 6, 190%. W. C. NORTON. THERMAL GAS VALVE. APPLICATION FILBD'APE'. 15, 1962.'

NO MODEL.

E mams Pains co., PnoTuLmao wAsN ,Nrrnn rares Fries.

ATENT THERMAL eas-VALVE.

I LIECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,904, dated January 6, 1903.

Application filed April 15, 1902.

To all whom, t 11m/y concern: i

Beit known that I, WILLIAM C. NORTON, of Salem,ccunty of EsseX,and State of Massach usetts, have invented an Improvementin Thermal Gas Va1ves, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

It is a well-known fact that serious eXplosions are often occasioned while a building is burning,resulting from the breaking of the gas pipes or fixtures by falling timbers and other causes, permitting the gas toescape into the rooms of thebuilding and to form an eXplosive mixture with the air, the escaping gas also adding fuel to the flames, and thereby hindering the iiremen in their eiorts to extinguish them.

The Object of my invention is to provid-e the gas-pipes of a building with a device which will automatically shut off the gas-supply in case of tire. I accomplish this object by providing the gas-pipes at various places throughout a building with automatic valves which act to close the gas-pipes when they are heated to a certain temperature.

I preferably provide the ordinary shut-olf valve at the gas-meter with means whereby it may be automatically closed when heated, and yet the valve may be opened and closed without disturbing said automatic means. The particular means of accomplishing the object of my invention which I employ consists, essentially, of a valve which is secured by a readily-fusible solder to thevalve-casing, said valve being adapted to drop or be forced across the gas-passage, so as to totally close the same, when the casing is sufficiently heated to loosen the solder.

For a more definite understanding of my invention reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a shutoff valve which is provided with my invention. Fig. 2 is a central cross-section thereof, showing the parts in their normal position. 3 is a similar section showing the automatic valve in the position which it assumes in the case of re. A

As shown in the drawings, the casing l is provided with a turning valve-plug 2, which is preferably tapered and tted in the casing.

Fig.

Serial No. 103,013. (No model.)

into the upper end of the valve-plug 2, said cap being locked in position by a screw 5, so that said cap will not be unscrewed when the valve-plug is turned by the application of a wrench to the cap. The ports 2a 2b both lead into the lower` end of chamber 3, and the surface about each port within the chamber is made smooth to form seats for a solid frusto-conicalshaped supplemental valve-plug 6, which is adapted to engage both of said seats simultaneously and completely close said ports, said supplemental valve-plug perfectly ttiug the lower end of the tapering chamber 3. Said supplemental valve-plug is normally suspended in the upper end of said chamber above the ports 2a 2b by means of a stem 7, which is threaded at one end into the supplemental Valve-plug, its opposite end being connected to the cap 4 by means of a readily-fusible solder S. The inner side of the cap 4 is preferably slightly recessed, so that said stem may be more readily and securely soldered to the cap. A spring 9 is preferably interposed 'between the `upper end of the supplemental valve-plug G and the cap 4, as shown. In placing the parts in position the stem 7 is iirst soldered to the cap 4, and then the spring is placed on the stem and compressed, and then the threaded end of the stem is screwed into the supplemental Valve-plug 6, after which the cap 4 is screwed into the valve-plug 2.

The operation of the above-described device is as follows: In case of tire the valvecasing will be heated and the solder 8 will be melted, disconnecting the stem 7 from cap 4 and permitting the supplemental Valve-plug to drop into the position shown in Fig. 3, thus completely closing both ports 2%,21 in the valveplug 2, so that further passage of the gas through the gas-pipe in which the valve is located will be ettectually prevented. The weight of the supplemental valve-plug 6 is ordinarily sufficient to cause the same to seat firmly; but I prefer to employ the spring 9, so that the supplemental valve-plug 6 will be more quickly released from the cap 4 when IOO the solder is melted. Said spring also acts to give the supplemental valve-plug 6 a certain impetus which will drive it more forcibly against its seat. In case also the valve-casing should not be placed in a perpendicular position said spring would still act to force the supplemental valve-plug 6 toits seat when released. When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2,the valve-plug 2 maybe turned to shut off or turn on the gas in the ordinary way.

It is my intention to provide valves'of the form shown in Figi at each gas-'meter throughout a building.

While I have herein shown the form of myV invention which I consider the most desirable, yet obviously other forms thereof may be constructed Withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope 'of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, `and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Avalvecomprisingacasinghavinga passage thereth rough and a valve-chamber which extends to one side thereof, a valve-seat about said `passage, a valve-plug arranged in said chamber having a passage therethrough, a supplemental valve -chamber in said valveplug, a valve-seat about said passage through the valve-plug, a supplemental valve-plug in said supplemental valve-chamber, a fusible support `for normally holding said supplemental valve-plug away from its seat, and means for-guiding said supplemental valveplug to its seat when said support is fused, substantially as described.

2. Avalve comprisingacasinghavingapassage therethrough, and a chamber which extends to one side of said passage, a valve-seat about said passage, a valve-plug in said chamber, having a passage therethrough, a supplemen-tal valve-chamber in said valve-plug, a valve-seat about said passage through the valve-plug, a supplemental valve-plug in said supplemental Valve-chamber, a fusible connection betweensaid supplemental valve-plug and the inner side of said supplemental cham-F ber which normally holds said supplemental valve-plug out of engagement with its seat, and means for guiding said supplemental valve-plug to its seat when said connection is broken, substantially as described.

3. A valve comprising a casing having a passage therethrough, a valve-plug for closing said' passage, having a passage through it, a supplemental valve-chamber in said valveplug, a supplemental valve-plug in said supplementalvalve-chamber, anda fusible support normally holding said supplemental valve-plug removed from its seat, substantially as described.

4E. A valve comprising a casing having a passage therethrough, and an inverted conicalshaped chamber into the lower end of which said passage leads, a hollow conical-shaped valve-plug contained in said chamber having a passage through it, a supplementalvalveplug contained in said hollow valveplug, and a fusible connection between-the supplemental valve-plug and the upper end Wall of said hollow valve-plug,` substantially as described.

5. A valve comprising a casing, a turning plug adapted toclose the passage-way through said casing, said'valve-plug beingv made hollow so as to provide a chamber whichextends longitudinally thereof and is connected with the valve-port therethrough, a cap closingthe upper end of said chamber, a supplemental valve-plug adapted to close the port of vsaid plug,a fusible connection between saidA cap and said supplemental valve-plug which normally supports said supplemental valve-plug remote from its seat, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. y u

WILLIAM C. NORTON.

Witnesses:

LOUIS H. HARRIMAN, J. L. HUTCHINsoN. 

